Doukas
Dukas ( pl. Dukai; feminine form Dukaina ) is the name of a Byzantine noble family, which also includes the two Byzantine Emperor Constantine X ( 1059-1067 ) and included Michael VII ( 1071-1078 ).
- 5.1 The oldest Dukai
- 5.2 The Dukas - Lydos
- 5.3 The imperial house Dukas
Origin
Reliable news about the origin of the family are not available. Extensive possessions along the river Menander, near Nicopolis in Paphlagonia - a Byzantine theme (Byzantine administration) on the Black Sea, on the central north coast of Asia Minor - however, indicate an origin in this province, which is to assume that it is a family Greek origin is, although an Armenian origin would be possible.
After the family had acquired in the second half of the 11th century, the imperial dignity, some historians have sought to increase the glory of the house by a back to antiquity reaching genealogy. So the Byzantine politician, military leader and historian Nicephorus Bryennios led (c. 1081, † 1136 ) - the husband of the emperor's daughter and historical writer Anna Comnena - the family of Dukai to a cousin of Constantine the Great Emperor of the Roman Empire ( 306-337 ) back who had come with this in the fourth century by Constantine Opel and would have worn as governor of Constantinople Opel the title Dux, who became the family name later.
Although this is theoretically not completely excluded, since then actual number of senatorial families of Rome have moved to the new capital Constantinople Opel, this lineage can not be proven due to lack of documentation, of course. But even without this origin legend among the House of Dukai of the oldest and most distinguished families of the Byzantine Empire.
History
Time- kick three groups of people with the family name Dukas on:
The oldest Dukai
As the ancestor of a Andronicus Dux ( Dukas ) is considered, which occurs as 792 Tour March ( commander of a Turma ( military district with an army strength of up to 5,000 men ) ) in topic ( province ) Armeniakon. Two generations later if any other Andronikos Dukas, the. By the Empress Theodora II during the regency for her young son Michael III (* 839, † 867 ) was commissioned as general so that in 843 to convert the heretical sect of the Paulicians by force to Orthodoxy.
However, this family is likely to be extinct at the beginning of the tenth century in the male line.
The Dukas - Lydos
This family derives from the marriage of John Lydos with a Dukaina (* 900/905 ) from, was originally called Dukas Lydos, later only Dukas. From it comes Andronikos Dukas - Lydos (c. 925 to 976 ), with the Ne Skleraina (c. 930 ), a daughter of Pantherios Sclerosis (* around 900 to 844 ), 944 domestikos ton scholon, was married.
The imperial line of Dukai
When her ancestor is generally the strategos and Protospatharios Andronicus Ducas (c. 975, after 1010) regarded as the father of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine X Ducas, ( 1059-1067 ) and grandfather of Michael VII Ducas ( 1071-1078 ) applies.
Continuity of the dynasty
The question of whether between these groups of people with the same name a genealogical relationship exists or, if applicable, to what it is doing, has already employed the Byzantine historian. This is not least because Dux was a Byzantine function name for a high-ranking generals or military governor, insisted on the therefore no monopoly of a particular family and thus a parallel adoption of the function as a surname is not excluded. Among the Byzantine contemporaries, there was in this respect different views, as about the historian Nicephorus Bryennios (* around 1081, † 1136 ), the Byzantine polymath and historian Michael Psellos ( 1078 ) and the historian Nikolaos Kallikes togetherness expressly confirmed, while of the historian John Zonaras ( lived in the 12th century) was doubted. In the recent literature there is no unanimity in this regard. The European pedigrees leave the question link between the older Dukai and the imperial family openly, without going into the family Dukas - Lydos.
Christian Settipani goes, however, from a genealogical link between the three groups.
Thus, the older Dukas though died out at the beginning of the 10th century in the male line, but her name was passed through a daughter of the house Lydos.
The link between the Dukas - Lydos and the imperial dynasty of Dukai after Settipani the strategos and Protospatharios Andronicus Ducas (c. 975, after 1010), which he, the son of either the Byzantine general Christophoros Dukas (* around 950 to 979 ), or as the son of his brother, Bardas Dukas " Mongo " ( the croaker ) (c. 955 AD 1017 ) sees. This Andronicus is also specified in the European pedigrees as the progenitor of the imperial dynasty.
The imperial house of Dukai likely to be extinct in the male line at the beginning of the 12th century.
Later bearers of the name
Because of the great prestige of the family name Dukas, however, was adopted by several families, descended in the female line from her. For example, from the Dukas - Kalamanos - which are of Hungarian origin and come from the royal house of the Árpád dynasty in male line.
Add to that the confusing Byzantine practice to add your own family names the family name of female ancestors, preceded or to replace it with the more prestigious family name to this, especially when this comes from an imperial dynasty. A tribal equality between later families who bore the name of Dukas, is thus not usually given.
A typical example is the family Batatzes ( Vatatzes ) from which John III. Byzantine emperor in exile to Nicaea (1222-1254) for reasons of prestige his family name by adding " Dukas " appreciating. His son, Theodore II Byzantine emperor of Nicaea (1254-1258), renounced his own family name Batatzes and called instead Dukas Laskaris. This according to a probable ancestor of the house Dukas, and his mother, who was a daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Theodoros I. Laskaris, who had already fined but even his own family name by the addition Komnenos Laskaris Komnenos in. Even more generous was a distant great-niece, Theodora Batatzaina (* 1240, 1303), who carried the family name Dukaina Komnene Palaiologina Batatzaina.
Another example of this practice is Johannes Dukas Komnenos ( v. 1289 ), Archon (ruler ) to Neopatras. He was a bastard son of a son of an extramarital extramarital son out of the house Angelos - the despot of Epirus. He preferred, however, before, rather than carry their own family name the female ancestors, although these four ( Comnenus ) or even five generations ( Dukas ) were returned.
The imperial dynasty of Palaiologos to this rule, called himself the first Byzantine emperor Michael VIII of this house, who ruled from 1259 to 1282 bzw.1261, Dukas Angelos Komnenos Palaiologos.
Family Tree
This follows the argument advanced by Settipani thesis of a genealogical connection between the three groups of Dukai, but are shown separately for clarity.
The oldest Dukai
Christian Settipani are for the oldest time following master series on:
The Dukas - Lydos
After Christian Settipani:
The imperial house Dukas
According to the European family trees: